Blue Jays at Padres

The Padres and Toronto Blue Jays were tied 3-3 headed into the 15th inning late Friday night (at press time) at Petco Park in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

The Blue Jays forged an early 3-0 lead on a pair of homers off Padres starter Jason Marquis. The Padres tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run double by Jedd Gyorko and a throwing error that allowed Gyorko to score.

Home runs continued to be the nemesis of Marquis and Padres pitchers in the early innings.

Center fielder Colby Rasmus, who was 2-for-24 at Petco Park before Friday night’s three-hit effort, not only hit a two-run homer over off Marquis in the top of the second, he robbed Yonder Alonso of a homer in the bottom of the inning with a leaping catch at the wall.

Edwin Encarnacion made it 3-0 with a homer to the base of the Western Metal building in the top of the third.

The homers were the seventh and eighth allowed by Padres pitchers over the last three games at Petco Park. Padres pitchers have allowed 13 homers over the last seven games — raising their total number of homers given up this season to 65, or the second-highest total in the major leagues.

Marquis has allowed 11.

Meanwhile, Toronto starter Chad Jenkins, thanks to two excellent catches by Rasmus, retired the first nine Padres he faced — Everth Cabrera becoming the first Padre to reach first with a lead-off single to center in the fourth.

But it wasn’t until the fifth that the Padres tied the game.

Carlos Quentin reached first to open the inning when hit by a Jenkins pitch. Alonso followed with a single.

Rookie second baseman Gyorko followed with a two-run double to right-center and advanced to third when the relay home was up the first-base line. Toronto catcher J.P Arencibia attempted to cut down Gyorko at third, but his wild, sidearm throw sailed past Encarnacion at third allowing Gyorko to score.

Alonso kept the Blue Jays off the board in the sixth by initiating the club’s first first-to-home-to-first double play since Adrian Gonzalez played first in 2009.

The Blue Jays loaded the bases off Marquis with one out when pinch-hitter Maicer Izturis greeted reliever Tyson Ross with a sharp grounder to first. Alonso threw to Grandal for the force and the catcher’s return throw beat Izturis by a stride.

Marquis again struggled with his command, allowing three runs on seven hits and four walks while requiring 109 pitches to complete 5 1/3 innings.

Marquis has walked four batters in each of his last four starts. Over his last two starts he has allowed seven runs on 14 hits in 8 2/3 innings.

The Padres were also turned back by a double-play grounder in the bottom of the sixth. With runners at the corners and one out, Quentin grounded to short to end the inning.